I love Chinese 5 spice. It has such an unusual flavor and it is so versatile. Chinese 5 spice has been around for hundreds of years. It is said that the ancient Chinese cooks were attempting to produce a spice that encompassed all five tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty and spicy.

Since it is kind of sweet, many people only use it as a flavoring in puddings, cakes and desserts. However, it is also really delicious on meat. It is an excellent ingredient to add to dry meat rubs and marinades on beef, pork and even fish. If you have not ever used it, then it is time that you started! It is easy to make, and the flavor is so much more pronounced when it is ground fresh.

The word pickle comes from the Dutch word "pekel" or northern German "pókel," meaning salt or brine, two very important components in the pickling process. Believe it or not, people have been preserving food by pickling for over 4000 years. The first known food to be preserved in this manner was cucumbers, hence the name "pickle."

Today I want to share with you a very old recipe that I discovered in my Mom's things when she passed away a few years ago. I thought it was an interesting recipe when I found it. The little paperback recipe book it was in was so old the pages were yellowed to almost brown and the writing actually looked like it came from an old fashioned ditto machine. Remember those? If not Google it! Anyway, the cover was torn off, and there is no marks on it as to where it came from. I suspect it may have been handmade, like maybe at a church or school.

The recipes in this book are very old fashioned. I look forward to sharing more of them with you. I hope you enjoy!